Oaxaca 25 Nov: heavy police attack

Today, after the seventh Megamarch in Oaxaca (100.000s marched) , members of the APPO attempted to form a human fence around the federal preventative police (PFP), but were attacked with gas. This unleashed a series of clashes with violence again igniting in the city . Many have been arrested and there are reports of many wounded, some by gunfire.

Today the Popular Assembly of the People of Oaxaca convoked the seventh megamarch in Oaxaca. The march unfolded in a festive atmosphere until it reached downtown. There began the attempt to form a human fence around the forces of the PFP in Oaxaca's Zocalo. But soon after groups of priístas started provoking the people with insults and shooting slingshots with marbles. Later, the PFP began using tear gas. People started to withdraw, but police kept moving forward and then began the riot. Shooting off of tear gas, police kept charging on. People tried to resist in a peaceful way, but couldn`t stand up against tear gas. The people began to defend themselves with rockets, home made bombs and stones.

The situation became very tense toward the north of the downtown where the police attempted to suuround the protesters. At some point, the PFP entered Santo Domingo, which is occupied by an APPO encampment, and then set fire to the camp. Many fires started throughout the city, provoked by saboteurs. A bus near the University City, a door of the Hotel Camino Real
and then the legislative palace and external relationships buildings were all set aflame.

The police started using gunfire. They also shot the gas cans at the protestors. This practice has killed people before in Oaxaca on Nov. 2 and in other places like Atenco. The Radio Universidad had to make a general call to withdraw and to get off the streets. Three people were shot by police from two pickup trucks using heavy gunfire, this happened near the College of Medicine. The reports indicate more than one hundred shots made. The police took two peolpe on to the trucks and lef the third one lying on the ground. Early reports indicate that this person could be death. Until now midnight, this information has not been confirmed.

Near a place known as El Pochote, a big group of people were surrounded by the police. Also in the streets of Fiallo y Colón, a big number of teachers and workers of the health department were detained and removed in two buses. In another point, also near the north of downtown, several reports indicate that there were massive arrests of up to thirty people which were attacked with gas after being detained. In a place called El Fortin, witnesses report how police were beating up and torturing detained ones before moving them from the spot aboard pickup trucks. Radio Universidad keeps transmitting and making announcements and denunciations.

The pacific mobilization received an attack from the federal police with gases and gunfire. Then protesters faced a wave of represion by armed police officers and paramilitary which resulted in the deaths of three people, many injured individuals, more than 60 detained protesters and innocent bystanders and an unknown number of disappeared people. The numbers are increasing because violence and represion has not ceased in the streets of Oaxaca.